Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says it will be “impossible” for his side to repeat last season’s Treble success.
City finished 2022-23 with a hat-trick of major trophies and begin this year’s Premier League campaign against newly promoted Burnley on Friday.
“It is once in a lifetime,” Guardiola said. “It will not be possible to do what we did last season.”
City are bidding to be the first team in history to win four successive English top-flight titles.
But Guardiola said winning the league, Champions League and FA Cup again would be too difficult.
“We climbed the highest mountain last season, but in the last two days we came down from it and now we start again,” he said.
“Everyone has the same intention and there will be a lot of difficulties to climb the mountain as high as possible. Our football, our level, our mentality will dictate how the season will be.”
City will be bolstered by new signings Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic when they come up against former captain Vincent Kompany’s Burnley at Turf Moor.
Guardiola said both players were “ready” and could be involved in the opening match of the season while uncertainty remains around the City futures of defender Kyle Walker and winger Cole Palmer.
The City boss said the club “wish” Walker stays and he does not know what will happen with 21-year-old Palmer, who has been linked with a move to West Ham.
“[Palmer is] with us. What will happen, I don’t know,” said Guardiola. “I understand he wants to be more active than the previous season but Riyad [Mahrez] is gone, there is one more place there. We will see.”
In his news conference on Thursday, Guardiola would not comment on West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who has been linked with the club this week.
Source: BBC
